The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-05-05
A HAlsPOONER'S REVENGE.

"A HAkl1OONEhS hLv LNOEs
Becalmed off the coast of Peru lay
the old whaleship, Coral. Captain Hus-
sey, with her three lookonts at the
mastheads. keeping sharp watch for
whales.
Nearly three years had passed since
she sailed from Nantucket and so sue
cessful had she been that now only one
more good whale was needed to give
her full cargo of oil, when, under all
sail. she would lie headed course, on her
homeward-bound ship.
The captain a tine looking man Of
thirty. was pacing the quarterback,
with happy, thoughtful expression
upon his sun-embrowned yisage. He
was thinking of his wife and two child
rem, far away in the Nantucket cottage,
where he hoped to be in few months
from the present time.
There they are. he said to his first
mate. half an hour later. taking from
his pocket small photograph, contain
ing the likeness Of his two little ones
boy and a girl. They will have
changed somewhat in over three years.
1t will be happy day for me when
see them again.
You will never see them again, if
can help it, muttered to himself the
tall. dark harpooner of the captain
boat, as. while arranging his line in
that craft, he overheard the skipper
remark
The name Of this harpooner was John
Rocket. He was a half-breed Gayhead
Indiana skillfnl throwerof the barbed
iron. and good sailor. but possessed
ii cruel. rcsengeful disposition. No
unlike many of his race, he had al
aversion to Kanakas, and recently. ht
was about to strike one of these island
ers-a youth named Loko. who ha,
made some blunder in the coiling of tn,
line in the Starboard boat when tn,
captain interfered. Rocket, in his rage
pushed the captain. but the latter, seiz
ing him bv the collar, hurled him dowl
on his back: and then saying he sup
posed the harpooner had forgotten
himself only for moment. and hat
never before opposed him, he was will
fnr n. hn ntf
VERY WELL thought Rocket. ..bu
John will never forget yours! Tha
hand, lifted to help his enemy, the Kan
aka. still burns at his throat! Johl
must have his revenge
So. pow, there in the starboar,
boat. he continued to mutter about ven
geance.
Suddenly, far aloft from the tire
lookouts, came the well-known cry 0
"Thcre bows
About mile ahead of the ship. tn
thin spouts of school of sperm whale
rose, like jets of silver: in the sunlight
The men sprang up; there was
quick tramping of feet: and then tn
banging of handspike against tn
forecastle scuttle.
.All hands ahoy! Stand by til
boats came a stentorian voice tina
made every man below leap from hi
bunk.
In few seconds all hands were o
deck.
..All ready there?" inquired Captai
Hussey. turning to the boat-steerers
who had sprung into their boats to pre-
pare their craft
LAY, ay, sir, was the answer.
Lower away, then. Lively, but II
noise"
The boats We're soon in the water
with their crews lightly scrambling IN
to them. Four had been lowered, an
as soon as the captain passed the wor
to ..Give way there was race fo
the whales.
The shippers boat took the lead.
contained picked crew, among:
whom Loko. amidship. and Rocket .
the bow. were remarkable oarsmar
In short time it was within ten fail
oms of large bull whale, whose barr
nacled hump, as he lay nearly motor
less. glistened in the sunlight.
..Stand up ordered the captain
and Rocket, iron in hand, ros G
flash to his feet.
As the usual words. Give il to him!
passed the captains lips, the India
sent his barbed weapon deep into I'll
whales hump.
The monster gave wild sheer-fe
An instant his dark. agile form seemin
to bend almost double-whisked abou
scattering cloud of spray around ii
boat. Rocket hurled the second irol
then, with one mad, sidelong sweep I
his tlukes which just missed the bow
the whale sounded {went DOWN.
Away went the boat. the line spinnin
round the loggerhead, and the tub oar
men mourning water upon it to keep
from burning.
Far astern, the other boats locke
smaller every moment. until at leng1
they seemed little more than specks {
the water.
For some time it was feared that Il
whale would take all the captains lin
but at last the rope began to slacke
showing that he was about to con
UP.
Haul lina"' was now the orde
And the skipper. who had ere tn
changed places with Rockel-thc forr
er going to the bow and the other
the steering-oar aft-selected q got
lance, and stood ready. The men col
linued hauling on the line, until, su.